Proceedings
of the NEA's international symposium on the reform of civil nuclear liability

The
Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) announces the publication of the Proceedings
of the International Symposium on the Reform of Civil Nuclear Liability,
held in Budapest from 31 May to 3 June 1999. This symposium, which was
organised by the NEA in co-operation with the International Atomic Energy
Agency and the European Commission, was attended by participants from
over fifty countries, and by several international organisations.

The
purpose of the meeting was to review nuclear liability and compensation
issues in the context of the recent revision of the Vienna Convention
on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, the adoption of the Convention
on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage and the current negotiations
on the amendment of the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the
Field of Nuclear Energy and the Brussels Supplementary Convention. The
effective implementation of this reform, which is a challenge to both
governments and the nuclear industry, will create opportunities to promote
greater public confidence in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and broader
adherence to an international system which establishes both liability
for nuclear damage and compensation for victims.

The
Proceedings reproduce all papers presented at the symposium in their original
language (English or French) accompanied by an abstract in the other language,
as well as the transcripts of the discussions during each session and
of the round table debate on the new global regime of nuclear liability.
This symposium also served as a forum for examining the difficulties faced
by Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) and by the New Independent
States (NIS) in joining an international regime on civil nuclear liability.
The reports submitted by participants from these countries can also be
found in the Proceedings.